Strictly Ballroom
by Kitsune Moonstar
Summary: Roy Mustang is a ballroom dancer without a partner.  Well, actually, he has a new partner in mind.  He just hasn't gotten around to asking her yet.
1. One Last Dance

Author's Note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU and was previously posted as part of An Apple a Day.

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**One Last Dance**

Roy Mustang was feeling very pleased with himself at the moment. It didn't really matter that he had just lost his long time dance partner. He and Gracia Isley might have been one of the most highly rated ballroom dance pairs, but Gracia and Maes were one of those couples that would still be disgustingly in love when they were in their nineties. It had taken some doing to get his best friend to agree to taking out his dancing partner, but once the two of them had actually met, it had not taken long at all for them to fall head over heels with one another.

Movement at his side drew Roy's attention back to his date who also happened to be the maid of honor. Riza Hawkeye was the only friend he had had longer than Maes. Her father had been his teacher for years, and they had practically grown up together. If Roy was honest, he had probably fallen in love her sometime back then as well. Not that Roy had ever mentioned that fact to her. He didn't quite know where he stood in her eyes, but he would guess it was somewhere between best friend and annoying acquaintance. Still, she had agreed to be his date for the wedding.

Maes and Gracia finished their first dance, and Roy rose from his seat. He and Gracia had planned a farewell performance. Still, he hesitated a moment.

"Hey, Riza, save a dance for me?"

She smiled at him. "Sure."

As he and Gracia took up their positions on the dance floor, Gracia shot him mischievous grin.

"Have you asked her yet?"

The steps of the foxtrot came easily to them both. It was one of their best dances.

"Asked who what?"

Gracia arched an eyebrow at him. "Asked Riza to be your dance partner. She's your favorite person to dance with, and that includes me. Besides, you two always make everyone green with envy when you dance together."

Roy shook his head. "Riza doesn't dance professionally."

"That doesn't mean she wouldn't be good at it."

The music came to a close, and Gracia and Roy finished their dance with a flashy ending. Gracia grinned at her former partner.

"Go dance with your girl."

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Theme: Let Go


	2. A First Dance

Author's Note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

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**A First Dance**

Riza was absolutely adorable Roy decided. She had Gracia's little cousin who was the flower girl in her lap and was speaking quietly to her. He made his way over to them, trying to avoid any of the other women who clearly wanted to dance with him. Roy might have a reputation as a flirt, but really, there was only one woman he was at all interested in. Grinning a Meredith, Roy joined her and Riza.

"Do you mind if I steal Riza from you for a dance?"

The five year old gave him a solemn look. "Will you dance with me next, Mr. Roy?"

Roy smiled. "Of course, Miss Meredith."

"Okay then." She climbed out of Riza's lap and into one of the nearby chairs.

Roy held out a hand to Riza. She took it, gathering up her long skirt in her other hand. Roy couldn't help the smile on his face as they moved out onto the dance floor. Gracia was right about the fact that he enjoyed dancing with Riza more than anyone else, and they did make a great couple on the dance floor. Riza was by far his favorite dance partner (though he would never mention that to Gracia). And they did make a wonderful pair on the dance floor. Riza might not share all of Gracia's technique, but she brought emotion to the dance that Gracia couldn't. Roy wasn't in love with Gracia.

Maybe his former partner was right. Maybe he should ask Riza to take over as his partner. Roy would certainly love to work with her. But while Riza enjoyed dancing, she had never expressed an interest in competing, and Roy didn't want to ask her to do something she wouldn't enjoy. He'd just have to think about it some more. Right now he was going to enjoy having her in his arms and dancing with her.

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Theme: If Only I Could Make You Mine


	3. Dancing With Myself

Author's Note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

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**Dancing With Myself**

Roy was more than a little frustrated at the moment. He had been auditioning partners for the last month, and none of them had even been a good fit, let alone the right fit. He had yet to find a partner that could at all compare to Gracia. He was beginning to lose hope of ever finding a proper dance partner. And Solaris Lust clearly wasn't the right partner for him. That had been clear to Roy as soon as they had started dancing. Unfortunately for him, he was stuck with her until the end of the audition.

It was hard trying to find a new partner after having a steady one for a number of years. It had been a long time since Roy had to put effort into dancing with his partner. He and Gracia had worked together long enough that for the most part their reactions to one another were instinctive. There was no need for them to have to worry about adjusting the space between the two of them or where to put their hands. Roy found himself rather out of practice when it came to adjusting to each new partner.

He had to admit that it wasn't like that with Riza. They had never really danced together as formal partners, but they had also never needed to figure things out or adjust much when they danced together either. Gracia had always teased him about the fact that she put in years of effort and yet Riza accomplished the same results without ever practicing with him. Roy didn't really know how to explain it other than the fact that he and Riza knew one another better than most people. They had grown up together, and quite honestly while Roy couldn't entirely explain the bond between them, there was a strong one.

He sighed as the piece of music came to an end and headed off the dance floor. He was more than a little glad that the audition was over with. Not only did it mean that he could finally get away from Solaris, but Riza was supposed to meet him for lunch. He would ask her if she would consider auditioning as his partner then, he decided. He didn't think that he could stand many more of these unproductive auditions, and really, they had proved to him that Riza was the person he really wanted to dance with. The question was did she want to dance with him?

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Theme: Quandary


	4. Dance With Me

Author's Note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

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**Dance With Me**

Escape had not proved to be easy. Roy had not been able to make a quick exit after the audition with Lust, and now he was trapped listening to Lust's coach and his own talk while trying to deflect Lust's flirtations. All he wanted was to get to his lunch with Riza. She was going to be annoyed if he was late again. That wasn't exactly how he wanted this afternoon to start, especially if he was going to ask a favor of her.

Casting a glance at the door, Roy began carefully edging towards it. Unfortunately for him, he only made it a few feet away from the group before his coach noticed and reeled him back into the conversation. He sighed. And then unexpected salvation came in the form of his lady. Roy caught sight of Riza slipping into the studio out of the corner of his eye. He had no idea why she was here, but he wasn't even going to think about complaining.

"Riza." He practically ran over to her. "I'm sorry I'm running late. I-"

"You're not late yet." She cut him off with a smile. "Maes said you might get tied up, so I decided to drop by instead of meeting you at the restaurant."

"Mustang, what do you say?" His coach interrupted them.

Roy rolled his eyes. "I don't think it's a good match. I'm sorry, Lust."

The woman narrowed her eyes at him. "You don't think I'm a good match. You've turned down at least thirty other dancers. What exactly does it take for you to decide that a woman is a good match?"

He panicked and glanced at Riza. "Dance with me?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Sure. Why?"

"I need to show them something." He turned to the stereo system and keyed up the music for a tango.

Riza shrugged off her jacket and tossed it and her purse on one of the empty chairs. She took Roy's hand and let him lead her onto the dance floor. Then as the music started, they danced.

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Theme: Tango


	5. Define Dancing

Author's Note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

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**Define Dancing**

The entire studio was absolutely captivated. The two dancers moved across the floor with a fluid grace. All other movement in the dance studio had ceased, and everyone was watching them. Admittedly, Roy Mustang was one of the best ballroom dancers that anyone had ever seen in the last fifty years, but the woman in his arms was not his typically partner. No, Riza Hawkeye was a friend of Mustang's, but she wasn't a member of this dance studio.

In fact, no one had any inkling that she could dance like this before this song had started, and Mustang had pulled her into his arms. But they were amazing together. Every single movement was perfectly in sync and full of emotion. The two of them completely personified everything that the tango was about. They didn't even seem aware of their audience, especially when at the end of the song, Roy dipped Riza and kissed her. The studio burst into applause.

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Theme: Ah the Wonders of...


	6. Save the Last Dance for Me

Author's Note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

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**Save the Last Dance for Me**

Roy was more than a little nervous when he pulled Riza out of the dip. He probably shouldn't have kissed Riza like that. It had been a spur of the moment impulse. Still, she had kissed him back, so maybe he hadn't completely ruined things between them. But that would have to wait until after he had made his point to their audience. Roy swung the two of them into the traditional pose to take their bows, and there was plenty of applause from those watching in the studio. He smirked at Lust.

"That is what I call a good fit for a partner."

Beside him Riza shook her head. Still, she let him keep his hand in hers, and she was smiling. Roy's coach raised an eyebrow at the two of them.

"I take it this is who you were talking about when you said you might have someone you wanted to audition."

Roy shrugged. "It's under negotiation. We were going to discuss it at lunch."

His coach sighed and made shooing motions. "All right. All right. Go. We'll talk about it later."

Turning to Riza, Roy braced himself for her reaction. He might have exaggerated things some. To his surprise, she seemed more amused than anything else.

"So are we going to lunch or not?"

He blinked at her. "You're not mad?"

"Gracia discussed the idea with me a month ago. We were wondering when you would get around to discussing it with me." Riza scooped up her purse and her jacket and headed for the door. "Coming?"

With a grin, Roy followed after her. He had a feeling that this was going to turn out to be a great partnership.

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Theme: Dip


End file.
